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250 ‘master’ teachers will get $60K over four years

High-performing math and science teachers in four regions — the Mid-Hudson, the North County, western and central New York — will be chosen this fall for a $60,000 merit incentive over four years.

At a cabinet meeting at the Capitol on Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that eligible teachers could begin applying on June 1 for the stipend, which would require that they participate in a mentoring program for novice and prospective teachers. A team led by State University of New York Chancellor Nancy Zimpher will choose 250 teachers in the initial regions by September, and the program will go statewide early next year.

Cuomo included $11 million in the budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year, which runs through March 31, for the merit-pay program; the program was a recommendation of his Education Reform Commission in December. The incentives aim to reward and retain good teachers while enhancing professional development for new ones.

“I hope that selection is a real problem, because there are so many really good teachers that deserve a leadership role and a special stipend for their mentoring and can help us really help other teachers,” Zimpher said after the meeting. “So I hope we have a flood of applicants.”

SUNY colleges will be developing the curriculum for professional development.

Buffalo State, New Paltz in Ulster County, Cortland in Cortland County and Plattsburgh in Clinton County were chosen to launch the program because they have strong teacher-education programs, Zimpher said. Cortland’s teacher program is the largest in the state.

The “master” teachers will work with novices who have three to five years of classroom experience, as well as college students pursuing education degrees.

Eligible teachers must have at least four years of experience, spend 60 percent of their time teaching math or science in grades six through twelve, earn a performance evaluation of “highly effective” and possess a New York state teaching license.

Zimpher said the first round of stipends will be offered to math and science teachers to stimulate student interest in those fields and accommodate the growing demand in the workforce. Math and science are also important components of the new Common Core curriculum in New York schools.

“That’s where we need to start,” she said. “I think we can grow to other fields.”

Cuomo said in a statement that the state is committed to investing in high-performing teachers.

“This program will reward those teachers who work harder to make the difference and whose students perform better as a result,” he said.

The Governor’s Office will announce how to access the applications when they become available, starting June 1. The deadline will be August 1.